VOICE OF THE PEOPLE | NOV. 22, 2014

The federal government cannot be let off the hook on the wait times for home care and long-term care.

First, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada does not provide full home care even on reserves and the province steps in, as these individuals deserve care as well. Also, the department stopped paying for First Nations individuals in nursing homes two years ago and this led to another download on our already stretched health-care budget.

Further, Veterans’ Affairs is closing veterans’ beds across the country, including our province. This means that future veterans will be in competition for any vacant nursing-home bed and add to the wait list.

We have major work to do in this province to improve home care and nursing home wait lists, but let’s not let Ottawa walk away without being held accountable and putting resources in to help fix the problem.

Kevin McNamara, former Nova Scotia deputy health minister, Gold River

Less paint, more maint

Twice in the last two weeks, we’ve been parked dangerously in the same spot on the side of the busy Highway 103 in a stalled Metro X transit bus.

We might have looked great sitting there, with the new logo and paint job, but that was the third time it has happened to me recently. Same problem, same routine — bus stalls, call maintenance, they come out, say that, yes, the bus won’t run; after that, call another bus and you get home an hour late.

Once is understandable, twice is a problem and three times indicates a serious maintenance program issue.

The new buses being put on these highway routes are terrible to ride in. They are very rough and noisy compared to the older buses being replaced. This is a great service that deserves functional equipment and a better maintenance program. Spending money on better buses should be more of a priority than rebranding and buying expensive GPS systems.

Brent Smith, HRM

Disarming response

It was with complete disbelief that I read the Nov. 21 report of the student at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford bringing a loaded gun to school.

Almost as disturbing as the revelation that the boy did this were the comments attributed to Doug Hadley, spokesman for the school board.

Stating that the school felt there was no evidence that the weapon would be used is absurd. The boy brought a loaded gun to school — there is the evidence. Not locking down the school and taking action surprises me. How did they know this boy was the only one who was involved?

It’s time we accepted the sad reality of society today. We need to be proactive in our approach to protecting our children. Better security protocols at schools need to be established. Saying that “this never happens in Canada” doesn’t cut it.

Charles McCormick, Bedford

Look in the mirror

It appears Mayor Mike Savage is concerned about wage increases of HRM employees outstripping inflation (Nov. 20 story). He might be part of the problem. He just accepted a wage increase of about two per cent over inflation.

If it is good enough for the mayor, it is good enough for all wage earners.

Charles Metcalfe, Halifax

Expand exports

HRM Mayor Mike Savage, in a speech this week, repeated the age-old mantra that was the centrepiece of our local brain trust, the Ivany commission. That is: “We need more immigration to grow our economy.”

Ironically, there appeared on the same day a feature story in your business section concerning the inability of a highly educated immigrant from Jordan to get a job in her field here over the past four years.

Immigrants who simply arrive here and set up retail outlets of any kind, for example, only diminish the size of the remaining market for other retailers. That does nothing for net job creation.

When will our government leaders and their advisers realize that Nova Scotia needs to produce/manufacture products that can either be exported to other regions and/or substitute for our reliance on imports?

That is the only way Nova Scotia’s economy will improve, and as jobs become available from that base, successful immigration will occur, not the other way around.

Richard Blackman, Halifax

Suicide’s huge impact

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is today (Nov. 22). A survivor of suicide loss is someone who lost a loved one due to suicide. This day brings together survivors of suicide loss and increases awareness of suicide as a devastating problem.

Suicide is a leading cause of death. Every 40 seconds, someone completes suicide, equating to 800,000 people who end their life per year across the world. In Canada, economic costs tied to suicide were $2.4 billion in 2004.

Intense suffering often accompanies suicide. At least six people are seriously affected for every suicide. Survivors of suicide loss may feel abandoned by their loved one and responsible for her/his death. Confusion, sadness, guilt, anger, stigma, and complicated forms of grief often occur in survivors. These survivors are 3.7 times more likely to attempt suicide.

The global suicide rate decreased by 26 per cent from 2000 and 2012, suggesting some forms of suicide are preventable. Preventative measures include restricting access to means of suicide (e.g. guns), appropriate media coverage (e.g. not sensationalizing celebrity suicides), and treating mental illness. For survivors, support groups can help and psychotherapy may be needed. Public events providing support and raising awareness are important ways for us all to help survivors.

Rick Murphy of West Jeddore passed away suddenly at 54 years of age on Nov. 17. He was the heart and soul of Lobster World in Jeddore that extended to Arisaig Fisheries on the north shore of Nova Scotia and “Wayne’s World” in Eastern Passage.

He was a founder of the Cape George “Marsh Road” fire department.

Rick was a businessman — and that’s just what he did 24-7. He took great pride in keeping people on their toes — as well as seeing them excel from his mentorship. But he never bragged nor sought public recognition for it.

Rick did things for the community that politicians only preached about, and that’s why people respected him. Rick seemed larger than life and could persevere through anything.

If you could get the time to talk to Rick, between phone calls or personal deliveries, he’d only speak when something needed to be said.

He’d lend a compassionate ear, even though he carried a heavy load himself of pleasing hundreds of fishermen, countless business contacts and ever-thankful employees and friends.

Because a large part of Rick’s life was about business, we were all part of Rick’s family and he always took care of us, as we knew he would, with such integrity. We will miss Rick’s early-morning phone calls, asking, “So what are you doing now?”

We are all experiencing deep loss without such a strong figure in our lives and community.

Andre Gerrard and Lisa Day of Spry Harbour worked for Rick Murphy

Bread and butter for eateries

The much-critiqued Halifax International Security Forum is in town this weekend. This annual conference, which brings together more than 300 defence leaders, security delegates, media personnel and their respective entourages from around the world, has come under fire in previous years for its price tag. Indeed, hosting a global meet-and-greet of the who’s who in defence to talk ISIS and Ebola can’t be cheap, but whether or not it’s the best use of taxpayers’ dollars is often debated.

What usually gets lost in the argument is the forum’s ripple effect on the local economy. The slew of conference attendees means busy hotels, more shopping and frequent dining out — greater spending in general. And that’s good news for small-business owners, their employees, and the economy as a whole.

For restaurants especially, this event couldn’t come at a better time. November is typically a sluggish month for sales. The summer rush is over, the tourists have gone home, and Thanksgiving and Halloween dinners are done, leaving Canadians to tighten their belts in anticipation of the busy holiday season.

In this slow period, the forum brings a much-needed influx of visitors who need to be fed. Whether it’s coffee or breakfast at the nearest quick-service restaurant or a gala dinner at a fine dining establishment, Halifax’s restaurants will be in full swing on that weekend.

But the benefits go beyond just one weekend, because the forum puts a global spotlight on our local cuisine — Halifax’s restaurants get to show their stuff to an international audience and court next year’s tourists. Not many cities get to make their mark on the world map as a must-see, culinary destination, but we get to do it every year.

Suffice it to say, 2014 hasn’t been the most impressive year for the province’s restaurant industry, as it saw modest gains compared to its counterparts across the country. In a tough year and a tough month, an international event of this magnitude is a welcome blessing.

So while the pundits duke out the pros and cons of hosting this security forum, it’s safe to say that many small enterprises in Halifax, especially restaurants, appreciate what this event means for their businesses.

Luc Erjavec is vice-president, Atlantic, Restaurants Canada

Surveillance overreach

Re: Bill C-13. You don’t see ordinary Canadian citizens scrutinizing the daily lives and private communications of government members or telecom employees, so why should the opposite be allowed?

Due process is a part of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and allowing this bill to pass would be a gross violation of just that. Do you think all the people who fought and died to protect those rights would be happy to see this 1984 Orwellian-style legislation invading their personal lives? I can’t imagine so.

Not only is the creation of this bill an insult to our free society, but it’s an enormous security breach. All it would take is one corrupt individual — of the hundreds of people who could have access — to steal people’s financial info and passwords. Inflation would be the last of our worries if this were to happen.

Above all, we as Canadians can find a better way to police ourselves than an NSA-style spying network. Let’s not go down the same path as our American friends.